I'm having a really hard time dealing with the fact that I'm already halfway done with college: two years down, two years to go. While accepting the reality that I only have two more years of college left is difficult, looking back on the last two years made me think about all the things I've learned during that time.

New experiences can be scary, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.

Everyone thought I was crazy for going to school halfway across the country rather than to the college down the street. Moving so far away from home was scary and walking onto campus not knowing a single person on freshman move-in day was TERRIFYING, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. The last two years have been incredible: I've met hundreds of new people, explored the greatest city in the world with my friends and on my own, and learned that it's okay to step out of your comfort zone.

You don't have to have it all figured out yet. It's normal to change your mind.

The idea that you're supposed to have your whole life figured out at 18 years old is crazy. You don't have to know what you want to do yet, and that's okay! A great thing about college is the opportunity to try new things. You might take a class about something you've never heard of and realize you're extremely passionate about it. If you change your major, it's not the end of the world. It's actually normal. Once you pick your major, everyone is going to ask you what you want to do when you graduate, but "I don't know yet" IS an acceptable answer. Something that important takes time to decide on, so don't rush into anything because you think you're supposed to have it all figured out by now.

College is supposed to be fun, so don't get too caught up in classes and grades.

I always thought that the people who told you "college will be the best four years of your life" were just washed-up alumni who dreamt of reliving their glory days. It turns out: college has been the best years of my life so far. I've loved the last two years. I've met so many great people, learned so much (both in and out of the classroom), and I can't wait for the next two years. College is about higher education, but it's supposed to be an enjoyable time. If you're having fun both with your friends and in your classes, then you're doing something right.

Sometimes you need to go out with your friends. People don't reminisce about the nights they were in the library until 3 am.

Like I said before, college is supposed to be fun! Sometimes you deserve a night out with your friends so give yourself one. In 50 years, you'll be remembering the crazy experiences you had out with your friends in the middle of the night while you were just kids in college. No one looks back on their college memories and thinks, "well, going out and having fun was great, but I wish I had spent more time alone in the library on a Friday night." People don't think that.

Remember that college is still school though, not just a giant party. Find the balance between going out and staying in to study.

You don't have to spend your Friday night in the library, but you should be able to identify which building on campus the library is. Having fun is great, but don't forget to actually LEARN while you're at college. Everyone learns differently and has their own way of studying, so take the time to figure out the best way for you to succeed at school. Some people don't need a lot of time to study in order to do well in their classes, but, if you do, you shouldn't be going out five nights a week.

Give yourself a break sometimes; you can't get an A on everything. Your future isn't ruined because you got a B.

Academically, college is a lot different than high school. The classes have a lot less structure than your high school classes did, and each assignment carries a lot more weight than any project you ever did in high school. For a lot of students, this adjustment is hard; paired with procrastinating and partying, it can result in some less than ideal grades. The first time I got a C on an assignment, I thought I was gonna pass out. I completely freaked out, telling my friends that my grade in that course was ruined and there was no way I could fix it; they reassured me that one not so good grade is not the end of the world, and there's always time to get your grade up by the end of the semester. Sometimes, getting a lower grade than you wanted can actually help you in the long run by making you work harder in the future to make up for it.

You're gonna have hard days. And hard weeks. Maybe hard months, too. But you can get through it, and you will get through it.

While college is great and fun, it can be difficult at times. You can get lonely, especially if you're far away from home and your family. For most students, this is the first time that you're living on your own and trying to figure out who you are outside of your high school friend group. There's a lot of growing up to be done in college, and I did most of mine during my first two years. There were days that I was convinced I should transfer to a school near home, drop a class I wasn't doing well in, or drop out of school entirely because I was so miserable, but my friends and my family helped me realize that I was just going through a hard time, but ultimately being at school is where I wanted and needed to be.

The biggest thing I can say about struggling with personal issues during college is don't be afraid to ask for help. If you're worried about academics, reach out to your professors or your advisor. They're people too, they don't expect you to understand everything perfectly. Asking for help makes a better impression than doing poorly because you didn't know what was going on.

If you're struggling with other issues, consider going to your school's counseling or psychological service center. They're there to help students, and having a safe, open environment to talk about the things that are bothering you, even if you think they're trivial, can really help students cope with the stresses of college life.

Your friends will change throughout college, and that's okay.

When you make your first friends during your first week of college, you think that these people will be your friends forever. A lot of the time, they won't be your friends by the end of first semester- and that's okay. College is about growing up and figuring out who you really are, and sometimes we grow out of the friendships we've made before. As you learn more about yourself and what you really like and want, you'll befriend people that complement you and create mature relationships that will truly last. If you do stay close with the first friends you make at college, that's great, because you get to spend even more time making memories with them. Some of my closest friends I didn't meet until the spring semester of my sophomore year, while others are girls from my freshman hall.

The truly great friends you make in college will always be there for you, supporting you through the hard times and living it up alongside you during the good ones.

When you finally do find the friends that you just click with, it's incredible. You sort of wonder why you haven't had friends like this for your entire life. You know that you've found friends that are gonna stick with you in the long run when you see them during your hard times, not just your good ones. The friends who help get you home when you're sick from drinking too much, the friends who drag you to the library because you both know that you're not prepared for that big test coming up, the friends that become the siblings that you never had. While it's not uncommon to stay in touch with your friends from childhood and high school, it's the friends you make in college that usually see you through most of your life, and that's pretty awesome if you think about it.

You have to put yourself first sometimes. It's not selfish to take care of yourself.

Self care is SO IMPORTANT, especially during college. College can be extremely stressful at times, and stress manifests differently for everyone. Pay attention to your body, especially when you're stressed. Don't forget about eating and sleeping during midterms and finals, those are the most important times to treat your body properly. If you need time to yourself, take it. Sometimes taking a nap or watching some Netflix alone can be a lot better for you than going out with your friends. Take good care of yourself while you're at school, it's important!

Just because you're at college, don't forget about your family. Call your parents, text your siblings. They miss you and want to hear from you.

When you're away at school, you probably miss your family; they miss you too! Call them! Seeing your family once a semester for holidays and then over winter and summer break isn't enough to maintain a good relationship with them. You don't have to go home every other weekend to see them, but shoot them a text or call them when you have a break between classes. I'm sure it'll make their day for you to reach out to them and ask how they're doing. While you're talking to your parents, make sure you thank them for sending you off to the school you're at and for constantly transferring you more money since your bank account usually has less than $5 in it.

Cherish your time: go all out for game day and Halloween, take a million pictures, sign up for the clubs you want to be a part of, take the classes you're interested in -- just enjoy it, because you only get four years.

College doesn't last forever. Sometimes, I wish it could. It's just one part of life that you get to experience before you move on to the next one, so enjoy it while you're there. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."